Astros send Lyles to Class AAA bullpen to control innings

The Astros have optioned Jordan Lyles to Class AAA Oklahoma City, where he will pitch out of the bullpen as a means to keep the 20-year-old rookie’s innings under control. The move was made in anticipation of the need for a roster spot Jordan Schafer’s coming off the disabled list for Monday’s game.

He will pitch sparingly out of the bullpen at Oklahoma City, and come September 1 when rosters expand he will likely join the Astros’ major league bullpen.

“No one wants to go down even if it’s for however long, but I feel like it’s best for the organization, so I’m going to go with it,” Lyles said.

Lyles’ next start had been scheduled for Thursday in San Francisco and the player to take that spot will be determined. Until then, the Astros will play with 14 position players, one more than the usual.

Lyles, who went five innings in a win on Saturday night, was up to 148 2/3 innings between Oklahoma City and Houston. The Astros want to cap him at 165-170 after he threw 158 1/3 last year, though Lyles feels no poor effects on his shoulder as the milestone nears.

“I believe the outing before last I was throwing my hardest of the year,” Lyles said. “Everything feels good, nothing’s out of whack.”

He finishes this stint in the major leagues 2-7 with a 5.02 ERA, having endured two rough starts on the last road trip before a good finale Saturday night in which he allowed just a pair of unearned runs.

“I definitely could have pitched better; I’m always going to say that,” Lyles said. “I felt like I’ve made good strides and for the most part I kept the games manageable and close enough for our team to win or be close to it.”

Wade assured Lyles and the public that he still sees Lyles as a starter, not out of the bullpen where he hasn’t pitched with any regularity since he was a freshman in high school.

“He’s certainly handled this very well for a guy at his age to be faced with the challenges that we’ve put in front of him,” Wade said.

Schafer to be activated

Outfielder Jordan Schafer will be activated from the disabled list before today’s game, making him the second player from the Astros’ pre-deadline trade haul to make his Astros debut (Henry Sosa being the first).

Schafer, acquired from Atlanta in the Michael Bourn trade, was at the time nursing a broken finger. He won’t be 100 percent the rest of the season, but he finished his rehab stint with Class AAA Oklahoma City 10-for-20.

Having sent Jordan Lyles down to clear the space, the Astros will play with an extra position player through the Colorado series, really at no penalty since Lyles’ spot wasn’t going to come up in the rotation. They could get back to 13 position players for Thursday’s opener in San Francisco when someone has to be brought out of the bullpen or the minor leagues to start.

From out of left field

J.D. Martinez and Carlos Corporan’s 250-foot throw-and-tag to get an inning-ending double play in the eighth may have been the Astros’ best defensive play of the year.

Martinez, not given many chances to show off his arm as a left fielder, especially in a small left field like Minute Maid Park’s, relished this chance.

“I was just wanting the ball,” Martinez said. “When I got it, I knew that I was able to get behind it and it was close enough to be able to make a play at the plate.”

Corporan made a superb block of the plate as the ball came in on the fly and planted the tag on Nate Schierholtz, who came in hard and clean.

Odds and ends

J.A. Happ had his best outing Sunday of the three since he was sent down to Class AAA, allowing one hit over seven shutout innings against the Iowa Cubs. … Manager Brad Mills said Chris Johnson and Brett Wallace were possibilities to be September callups, but nothing’s been decided yet. … Also a candidate is Enerio Del Rosario, currently on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation.